A350-1000 completes high and warm flight tests in Latin America

Often referred to as 'the bigger twin brother', the A350-1000 has been designed to achieve maximum level of commonality with the A350-900. Not only does it have 95 percent common airframe spares with the A350-900, but it also embodies its fuel efficiency and ‘Airspace’ cabin comfort concept.

The A350-1000’s distinguishing factors lay in its longer fuselage and 15 percent more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. Today, 12 airlines from five continents have ordered a total of 211 A350-1000s and notably, more than half of the major A350 XWB customers have selected both the A350-900 and the A350-1000, which endorses this family commonality concept.

The A350-1000 is on track to receive its Type Certification in the second half of 2017 and so far, is performing as predicted. On March 8, an A350-1000 test aircraft flew to Bolivia and Colombia to conduct “High and Warm” flight tests, a major milestone in the aircraft’s certification campaign. With respective elevations of 8,300 feet and 13,300 feet, Cochabamba and La Paz, Bolivia, are ideal locations to test high-altitude aircraft performance.

Beyond take-off and landing performance, the A350-1000 undertook several other tests which pushed the aircraft to extreme limits, well beyond normal operating conditions, in order to ensure optimal performance in challenging environments. Before returning to Toulouse, the aircraft stopped in Barranquilla, Colombia, to complete warm and humid weather tests.

The A350-1000’s flight test campaign is a reduced one, involving only three aircraft (MSN059, MSN071, and MSN065) in less than a year, as opposed to the A350-900’s five aircraft, 14-month test campaign. This is thanks to their high level of commonality, as well as the experience and maturity of the A350-900 programme. While MSN059 and MSN071 are dedicated to performance, power plant and systems testing, MSN065 is equipped with a cabin and will perform “Early Long Flights” and a route-proving world tour via Bogota, Santiago and Barranquilla, among other cities later this year.

Today, 70 A350-900s are already in service with 11 carriers including LATAM, which is successfully flying the aircraft from Sao Paulo to Florida and Spain. These airlines are receiving great passenger feedback on the unprecedented comfort and modernity – if you have the chance, experience flying it for yourself!